Maslow vs Skinner: Theories of Motivation - Essay Example

?Running head: MASLOW VERSUS SKINNER Maslow versus Skinner: Theories of Motivation MASLOW VERSUS SKINNER 2 Maslow versus Skinner: Theories of Motivation Maslow's “Hierarchy of Needs” states that a human being requires the meeting of his or her physiological, emotional, and psychological needs. He states that meeting an individual's physiological needs in not enough to feel motivated or complete. On the other hand, Skinner's “Operant Behavior” states that the consequences of an action affect the individual's motivation (Hotherstall, 2003). As teachers, these theories of motivation help a lot in classroom management (Madden 1972). Topic Maslow Skinner Definition Motivation stems from the inner person. It is out of the person's desire to satisfy his or her hierarchy of needs as argued by Maslow. Motivation stems from how the society rewards good behavior and punishes bad behavior. Motivation changes from elementary to secondary students Motivation begins with simple emotional needs, to more complex ones, toward intellectual needs. The intellectual needs become more complex in time as well. It starts with basic ideas, to more dynamic and detailed ones. Motivation begins with simple methods of rewards and punishments, to more complex ones. The attribute, type, and amount of rewards that will motivate the student also changes. Similarities Just like Skinner's rewards, moving to the next level of need can be deemed a reward. Meeting the next-level need is a reward in itself. Motivation is influenced mainly by rewards. Students become more motivated when more rewards await their good behavior. Feedback is also considered a reward and it answers the individual's need to belong. This is similar to Maslow's second level of need. Differences Need-levels can overlap depending on the deed. A single behavior can meet the physiological, emotional, and psychological needs of an individual. Motivation can be based on either of the need levels. It is either good or bad --- reward or punishment. Motivation comes from desiring a reward that can only be acquired from good (or generally acceptable) behavior. (Hotherstall, 2003) The above chart presents a basic comparison and contrast of the two theories of motivation. The chart shows the simplified concepts of Maslow's Humanistic Psychology and Skinner's Radical Behaviorism. While Maslow's theory is more focused on the unseen processes of thinking, Skinner's theory is more focused on the reaction to stimuli (Hotherstall, 2003). The motivational changes from elementary to secondary students are both from simple to complex (Svinicki 2004). For example, in Maslow's theory, the emotional needs of an elementary student could be met with a simple fun activity at school, while the emotional needs of a secondary student would be met only if the fun activity is coupled with a sense of belonging with group members. On the other hand, on Skinner's theory, an elementary student's desire for a reward could be met with a simple token or award, while a secondary student's desire for a reward would only be met if the award or token is coupled by a nice feedback from the teacher. The similarity between Maslow's and Skinner's theories is from the fact that they are interchangeable (Hotherstall, 2003). For example, on Maslow's theory, when the student meets the next level of need through a certain activity, it is deemed as a reward in itself because of the MASLOW VERSUS SKINNER 4 “rewarding” feeling it provides. Consequently, on Skinner's theory, when a student performs well and receives a reward, it provides a feeling of being appreciated, thus, “belonging” to the class or group. The basis of the similarity is motivation through the “feeling” acquired. The difference between the two theories, on the other hand, is that Maslow's needs levels can be met even through a single behavior (Hotherstall, 2003). For example, a student prepares a rare dish that he or she learned in school. If the student dines with his or her family and they all eat the food, the student's physical needs are being met, while at the same time giving him or her the sense of belonging and self-actualization. Furthermore, the student's motivation could either come from the desire to eat a nice dish, or from the need to bond with the family, or from the need to flaunt the newly acquired knowledge, or a combination of all three. On the other hand, Skinner's theory is direct --- that motivation comes from the need to obtain a reward. And since rewards are only for good behavior (or for behavior that is generally accepted), what would matter is the person's desire to get the reward. It would not matter anymore what the person thinks of or feels about the behavior so long as the reward is there (Hotherstall, 2003). Despite their differences, teachers would benefit a lot from both theories of motivation. There are ways to apply these theories in classroom management and student motivation. Based on Maslow's “Hierarchy of Needs” 1) Provide a way for the students to reach their full potential through continuous interaction, tools for learning success, etc (Wiseman 2008). 2) Provide ways to respond to the students' personal goals. Non-competitive systems of evaluation would be helpful in this. This means assessing the student against his or her own performance rather than against the whole class (Madden 1972). MASLOW VERSUS SKINNER 5 3) Use teaching techniques that require group activities. This allows students to experience learning within a group. They can exchange ideas and support each group member to reach a certain group goal. This responds to the belonging and self- actualization needs of the students (Svinicki 2004). Based on Skinner's “Operant Behavior” 1) Provide rewards that are based on the complexity of tasks. The more complex the task, the higher the quality or amount of the rewards (Wiseman 2008). 2) Provide students with well-defined objectives in the classroom. This would influence a consistently positive behavior in the classroom (Svinicki 2004). 3) Use teaching techniques that combine both Skinner and Maslow's theory. For example, the ones who are able to finish the highly educational activity (or probably meet a certain level of mastery of the topic) would have more leisure time in class. This answers the self-actualization and reward need of the student (Svinicki 2004). Despite both theories having received several criticisms, several studies show that for the past thirty years, applications of these theories inside the classroom obtained positive results. Both provide crucial concepts on the individual needs of different students, and serve as important foundations in conceptualizing motivational strategies to create a positive learning environment inside the classroom (Svinicki, 2004). Since both theories have their own focus --- Maslow's on the unseen processes of thinking and feeling and Skinner's on the individual's response to stimuli --- motivational strategies that utilize a combination of these two theories would definitely create the necessary motivation for students, individual differences notwithstanding. MASLOW VERSUS SKINNER 6 References Hothersall, D. (2007). History of psychology. Boston: Mcgraw-Hill Publ. Madden, P. C. (November 01, 1972). Skinner and the Open Classroom. The School Review, 81, 1, 100-107. Svinicki, M. D. (2004). Learning and motivation in the postsecondary classroom. Bolton, Mass: Anker Pub. Co. Wiseman, D. G., & Hunt, G. H. (2008). Best practice in motivation and management in the classroom. Springfield (Illinois: C. C. Thomas. Read More